Sugar-cane stripper and topper.



F. M. GOCKRELL, JR. SUGAR CANE STRIPPER AND TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED 3111.30, 19w

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

31400444 loz:

F. M. GOGKRELL, JR. SUGAR CANE STRIPPER AND TOPPER.

APPLIUATION FILED JAILBO, 1906. 976,850, L Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w 7 vwamtoz Wi-tywoof i 'F. M.- COOKRELL, JR. SUGAR CANE STRIPPER AND TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. so, 1906.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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SUGAMANR STRIPPEI: ANED- TOPPED.

specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d N 29: 1910 pp ca ion filed. an ary 8,. 18 6. r al No 2 ,626..

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, FnA cIs-M. Coonnnnn, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residin at New Orleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sugar- Cane Strippers and- Toppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sugar cane strippers and toppers.

Thoobject of the present invention is the PIQVlSlOD of an improved and novel sugar cane stripper and topper which will satisfacs torily and successfully accomplish the work under any and all the varying and difficult conditions involved in harvestingcane,

and; with this end in view, I provide an improved sugar, cane stripper and; topper of strong, comparatively light, and coinpact construction having novel means for stripping the dead leaves from the cane; novel means for arranging or adjusting the cane of di-fi erent lengths to prepare it for the topping operation; novel means for severing the tops or topping the cane thus arranged; and novel means for discharging the cane from the machine so that it can be conveniently transp rted to the mill, together with various improved and novel instrumentalities, all of which are set forth fully hereinafter and recited in the appended claims, while in the accompanying draw-.-

. ings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the complete cane harvester; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view on line 2-2 .of Fig. 1, with the shield removed; l? i 3, rear sectional elevation on line 3-3 0 Fig. 1; Fig. 4;, a front elevation; Fig. 5, a sectional detail of one of the adjustable topping cutters and adjacent gears and wheels.

The main frame 1 issurmounted by a superstructure 2 and is supported on the traction or drive Wheels 3 and front or steering wheels 4. While any preferred driving mechanism for propelling, operating, and

"steering the machine may be used, I have found it desirable to employ that shown,

consisting of an internal combustion engine 7 having power shaft 8 connected by drive chain 10 to countershaft 12, on which is transmission gear 13 which, in turn, is ggared to another countershaft 17 by sprocket chain 15. Gears 18 and19 operatively connect shaft 17 with a shaft 20which is geared to gears 22 on the respective tracoperable by: a hand lever veniently to the operators seat '(7, main tion wheels 3 by sprocket chains 22.

steering mechanism 5 is operated by 'connect ng rod 5*, gears 5 shaft 5, gears 5 and clutch 5 on shaft 12. Any suitable contiio hpig mechanism for clutch 5 may be emp oye Hinged at 75 to. the front of frame 1, which is bifurcated and has converging adjacent sides, are pointed guide frames 52, supported by small wheels 53.

Shafts 26which. are operatively connected at their rear ends with shaft 17 by the sets of spiral gears 24, carry at their forward ends bevel gears 27 which mesh with correspondgears 28, which by the parts 29, 30, ar-

ranged in a boxing-'76, drive the severing knives 31. Cables. 32- running over pulleys 33 and winding on drums 34 ona shaft 35,

36 disposed contain the cutters where desired.

Secured to. the shafts 30 are sprocket wheels 50 around which and other sprocket wheels 78 and 7 9 run sprocket chains 51 hav-. ing fingers Thesechains also pass around sprockets (not. shown) which are journaled to. the machine frame at the side of sprockets 50, said chains being thus arranged with stretches parallel and the fingers nearly touching, while the forward portions of these chains diverge to draw in the cane to' pass it to the parallel portions of the chains.

Arranged in pairs disposed at different heights are stripping brushes 40, 4:0", 40, 40 suitably journalcd in the frame 2, while screw conveyors 42, 42 42? are arranged in pairs intermediate the respective pairs of stripping brushes; the brushes and screw conveyors are disposed in parallel relation to each other. The stripping brushes. and

screw conveyers'are allgeared togethe'r by" sprocket chains 41 and. the lowermost-3109' br-ushes are operativel-y connected to the shafts 26 by sprocket chains 38 running over sprocket wheels 39 on' the shafts of the brushes 40. The sprocket wheels and chains are so arranged thatthe brushes on one side will revolve faster than those. on the other side of the cane so that the flexible steel fingers '80 of the brushes will have a scraping action on both sides of the stalks and thus effectually strip them of their leaves.

In the upper part of the frame 2 are journaled pairs of verticallv sposed shafts 45 the,j tops from the stalks wheels 462are slidable fup andjdown on the l After the topp'in Suitable v :5. be brought to any desired height.

and the scries'of sprocket chains 41 by bevel gears 48, 44. Sprocket chains 47 47 47, having fingers or prongs" 81, "pass around sprocket wheels 46, 46, 46 on the respective shafts 45 and around similar sprocket'wheels .0n-.

shafts 45f.- have" see redt'o' their hu'bs rotary or cutters or knives 48 whioh overlap slightly and constitute topping knives for severing Ihe sprocket- The rear sprocket wheels 46 shafts 4,5, audit 51 st) that thejcutters 48 may means 82 \are employed for, securin g the sprocket wheels 46 to shafts and 45. i: Above, the sprocketj chains 47 is aflat shield or abutment 49 againstwhich the tops of the. stalks strike whereby the stalks? are an brought to the desired vertical position ,fQrtop p ng-. The pairs of fcrew convey'ersg42*,42"; 42,

are continued rearwardly and below them is a, platform 54 I ontowhich' the, butts of the stalks drop afterthetopping' operation to be conveyed by sai d screw co'riveyers to the rear of v the machine for reception, into any suit- "qblzcarti fo r transportation to the mill-Q tops: and of the I front ,The operationof the machine is .follows As the, machine" is propelled'j into the fieldfbytthe engine? and-"controlled and steer d by :t p a o wheels 4 and 'tiesin' the contour of the ground andgather inany blown over cane, forcingit 'into'more; lor, less upright positien on account offthe r; convergence and the upward slope'foi their} czreach'esfithe convergedh portions" of the gpronged chains or conveyers 5,1 which guide theflstalks into the space brewsarns straight -,porti ons,- of 1 said chains orconveyers; the

t .fil'1gB1S or iprongs. passing it nonand'hold- .ing it F in upright position. Byjthe" time the ,stalks, reach thejrotary cutters" or severing knives 3,1, theywill beengaged by thespiral L or screw conveyers 42, 42", 42, 'andtherotary i-mmediately upon .by the rotary cutters 31, the'combined action stripping brushes 140*, 40?, 40, 40', and severance of the] stalks of the screw. or spiral conveyers; and""the stripping; brushes will .carry thefst alks up- .15 wardlyand toward the'rear'of the machine,

.ewarril direction, H I Mping brushes on one side of the'machinere the. strippingbrushes revolving in an up- ,volvefaster-,than those onthe otherlsideof themachine, the stalks'in passing" betweenthe pairs of. stripping i jected.

- fingers.- 1 I leaves. screw. convfeyers and the strip'pingbrushesare such that the upperendsof the smaller 80, thus efi ectually f; removing the .-'I he relative speeds; of the's'piral' or former being driven'gfrom the disk,

the, front and: rear: 3. straddling 'afrow' or hillfthe -.;y guides 52rise andj,fallaccording'to inequaliflp'ers during the stripping -4'. In a-cane stripper,

and inasmuch as thestri brushes will be subto "a scraping action by the flexible stalks will reach the shield 49 before they have"beentcarriedkback by the; screw conveyers to the topping knives 48. After the tops ofthe stalks reach the shield or abutment 49, the stripping brushes l1old them thereagainst while the screw conveyers, assisted by the pronged conveyers 47 47", 47 carry the stalks to the rear through the topping knives or cutters 48 which sever the tops from the stalks; The topping cutters by Letters Patent, is

1. .In: a'cane stripper, amovable stri pper for stripping the cane upwardly in relation to theleavesthereof, in" combination with aconveyerfor passing the cane through said,

stripper in a general sidewise dircctiondurmg the stripping operation.

2. -In a' canefstnpper, rqtarylstrippers adapted to both strip and advance the cane,

the cane sidewise in the direction of the -length of said'rotary strippers during the 'st'rippingoperation- In" a cane stripper, rotary strippers what I claim as new andpdesire, to secure w in combination with a.-conveyer for passing havingflexiblefingcrs for stripping the -cane lengthwise thereof, in combination with means-for-movmg the cane sidewlse lathe direction of the length of. said rotary stripoperation.

with .rotary strippers adapted to-both advance and strip the cane,yof'screw conveyers for passing the cane through said strippers.

*5; In a canestripper, an adjustable top- "cutter', iii-combination wlth conveyers havlng flexible means for presenting the s'tal'k's' theretb,=whereby the tops of the stalks ,can be cut off at any desired distance from the upper ends of the stalks.

-';6. In a eane str1pper,.the combination with means for adjusting the-individual severedstalksfof aneadjustablecuttcr for severingthe topsfrom the severed. stalks in any desired lengths. H r

7 In a c-anestrlpper ashield or abutment for the severed stalks, in combinntion with topping mechanism adjustable indrelation to 'SEl1dSl11ld"OI- abutment, whereby the tops ofthe stalks canbe cut off many desired 8.' In a canestrippeig lthe; combination with a shield-or abutment forholding, the

stalks in adjusted position fortopping, of rotary shatts, rotary cutters adjnstably sethe combination I cured on seid shafts and shiftable there- I In testimony whereof, I hereunto afllX my along to dlfi erent positions, whereby the signature in presence of two Witnesses. tops may be severed at any desired distance from the upper ends of the stalks, and flexi- FRANCIS COCKRELL 5 ble conveyers for delivering the stalks to -Witnesses:

the shield 0r abutment and to the cutters JAS. P. PARKERSON,

aforesaid. P. KRAMER. 

